PM visits Ilios factory, notes that successive increases in minimum wage outstrip inflation

ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

PM Mitsotakis: ‘Correct and fast administration of justice an integral part of liberal democracy’

Productivity bonus to civil servants who achieve specific targets

PM Mitsotakis: The vote in the European elections should be a vote of responsibility

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the “Ilios Bacharika” spices factory in Agios Ioannis Renti on Monday, where he was given a tour of the facilities by the company’s president, Stella Diamantopoulou.

According to sources, the prime minister chatted with employees during the visit about the fourth successive increase in the minimum wage in recent years and about the increase in the average salary, while he was briefed on the operation of the digital working hours card, which was expanded to include industry on January 1.

“From today, the minimum wage is increased and reaches 830 euros [a month]. If you consider that in the last four years the minimum wage has increased by slightly more than 26%, this means that – with this latest increase – it has now cumulatively increased by more than inflation. This is something that we should stress, because we do have higher food inflation but the expenses of a household are not just for food, they include energy, transport, there is an overall ‘household basket’ that we must consider,” the premier said.

He also noted that increasing numbers of businesses were paying their employees more than the minimum wage, increasing the level of the average wage and bringing Greece closer to wage convergence with Europe, “which is the great wager of our own economic policy.”

Based on figures released by ERGANI, the average wage in Greece was 1,258 euros a month at the end of 2023, up from 1,046 euros a month in 2019, while private-sector employees in the 901-1,200 wage bracket increased by more than 175,800 between 2022 and 2023.

“What we need to look out for when increasing the minimum wage are two things: firstly, to ensure that the businesses can cope. We believe that businesses can withstand this increase as, don’t forget, we have reduced taxes, we have reduced contributions, we have supported businesses and balance sheets overall. The second thing we need to watch out for is that we don’t fuel a new round of price hikes,” Mitsotakis added.

On the use of the digital work card, the prime minister stressed its importance for protecting the rights of employees, expressing pleasure that it had been incorporated by companies in their daily operation. “For us it is the final and absolute guarantee that working time is fully recorded,” he said.

“We insist so much on declaring the true working time of employees in this way, so that it cannot be disputed, so that we can fight undeclared and additional undeclared work, which ultimately deprives workers of income that is their due based on the time they have worked,” he added.

Mitsotakis also highlighted the increasing share of the Greek manufacturing and processing sector in the country’s GDP, as well as hailing the company’s success in establishing a brand and the importance of developing brand products.

Source: ANA – MPA

Marinakis announces changes in the Maximos Mansion staff